Reading the Nutrition Facts Label

Why It Matters

Food packaging is designed to sell, but the Nutrition Facts label on the back is where the real information lives. Learning to read it puts you in charge, so you can pick foods that match what you actually want more or less of. The nice part is that many whole foods, like fresh produce, barely need a label at all. For everything that comes in a package, a quick glance at a few key spots tells you most of what you need to know.

What to Know

Start with the serving size

Nutrition amounts are usually shown for one serving; some labels also show amounts for the whole package. That is your reference point. It is worth a look, because a package can hold more than one serving, and the numbers you see may be for a smaller amount than you would actually eat. Serving size is a general measurement, not a rule about how much you should have.

Scan the numbers that matter to you

• Calories: a quick sense of the energy in one serving.
• % Daily Value: 5% or less is low; 20% or more is high for that nutrient per serving.
• Fiber and protein: nutrients many people like to get more of, since they help you feel full.
• Added sugars: listed on their own line, so you can see sugar added during processing apart from sugar that is there naturally.

Read the ingredient list

Ingredients appear from greatest to least by weight. Use the list to compare similar foods alongside the Nutrition Facts panel. An unfamiliar name is not, by itself, a reason to reject a food. For example, ascorbic acid is vitamin C. See the FDA’s ingredient guide.

Compare, do not memorize. You do not need to track every gram. Use the label to compare two similar products on the shelf and choose the one that fits what you are going for that day. That single habit does a lot.

Try This

Next time you shop, pull one packaged food you buy often and give its label a slow read. Notice the serving size first, then let your eyes travel to the numbers and ingredients that matter to you.